Sylvania



(No Model.)

F. B. WILDMAN. TAKE-UP FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 600,568. Patented Mar. 15, 1898.

Inver tor. V w/e K) 111% Attorney npams min: 00. mom-um, WABNIMGTON', n. c.

VVitnesses 0M4 UNrrnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. /VILDMAN, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGNOR TO THE MCMIOHAEL & \VILDMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PENN SYLVANIA.

TAKE-UP FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,568, dated March 15, 1898.

Application filed May 13, 1897- Scrlal No; 636,333. (No model.)

T0 or whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. WILDMAN, of Norristown, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Take- Ups for KnittingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to take-ups for knittingmachines; and it consists of the improvements which are fully set forth in the followin g specification and are shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the operation of knitting-machines it constantly occurs that it is desirable to relieve the tension of the take-up devices on the fabric and to withdraw the fabric either wholly or partially from between the take-up rollers. Where this necessitates the disconnection of the take-up rollers from the powertransmitting devices which operate them, as in take-ups in which the take-up devices or rollers are operated by a worm and wormwheel upon a rocking frame, considerable difficulty and annoyance have been experienced. Usually this disconnection of the power-transmitting connections has been accomplished by disconnecting the Worm wheel from its shaft by releasing a clamping-screw, an operation which is attended with difficulty because of the inaccessibility of the parts and the liability of the clamping devices to become bound or jammed, so that they cannot easily be released. This operation also necessitates the screwing up of the clampingscrew to again connect the worm-wheel. It is the object of my invention to entirely overcome these difficulties by so constructing the take-up devices that a disengagement of the worm and worm-wheel of the driving connections can be efieoted by the simple operations of lifting of the take-up frame to relieve the tension and turning of the take-up rollers, either by hand or by pulling the cloth, and the rengagement of the parts may, when desired, be automatically and instantly permitted by the mere restoration of the tension upon the take-up frame.

In carrying out my invention I employ a worm having freedom of longitudinal move ment upon its shaft in an upward or forward direction, but not in a downward or backward direction, so that when the take-up frame is 'devices are turned forward slightly the movement thus imparted to the worm-wheel will lift the Worm longitudinally on its shaft until it is out of engagement with the worm-wheel. The take-up rollers may then be turned freely to release the cloth. WVhen the take-up frame is released and the backward tension upon the rollers is restored, the Worm will instantly and automatically return into engagement with the worm -wheel. If desired, however, by slightly turning the worm when in an elevated position it may be maintained out of engagement with the worm-wheel for as long as may be desired.

I shall now refer to the accompanying drawings for the purpose of more particularly describing my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a take-up for a knitting-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View on the line 00 a: of Fig. 2.

A A are the usual take-up rollers, journaled in a take-up frame B, which is pivoted to a frame 0, adapted to be secured to the frame of the machine. The rollers A A are geared together, as by gears D D, and the shaft of one of the rollers carries a worm-wheel E, which engages a worm F upon a shaft Gin bearings g of the frame B. The shaft G carries a bevel-gear H, meshing with a bevelgear I on a shaft J in a bracketj of the frame B, to which power is transmitted from the power-shaft or a driven part of the machine in the manner now well known.

So far as the apparatus has been described it is of well-known construction. The power transmitted to the shaft J rotates the take-up rollers A A through the intermediate powertransmitting connections, consisting of the bevel-gears H I, shaft G, and worm F and worm-wheel E.

The wormF is carried upon the shaft G with freedom of longitudinal movement thereon, and the shaft is extended so that the Worm may move thereon to a sufficient extent to disengage its thread from the teeth of the worm-wheel. A stop f on the end of the shaft G limits this longitudinal movement.

I have shown the shaft G provided with a longitudinal key L and the worm F with a complementary groove M. The worm F is held against longitudinal movement in a downward or backward direction by a stop or support such as the journal-bracket g and is thus held against horizontal movement in one direction, but not in the other. While the worm is rotating with the shaft G to operate the take-up rollers A A, it is supported by the support g, and the frame is sustained by the fabric. To release or examine the cloth, the frame B is lifted, so as to relieve the tension on the rollers AA, which may then be turned forward freely either by hand or by pulling down upon the cloth, and as the worm F is free to move upward on the shaft G the turning of the rollers A A will lift the worm on the shaft G and free it from the wormwheel E, thus breaking the driving connection of the take-up and permitting the rollers to turn freely and the cloth to be pulled out or loosened to any extent. When the cloth is released so that the frame B is again supported by it and tension upon the rollers A A is restored, the worm F will return automatically into engagement with the worm-wheel E, as the backward tension of the rollers A A through the worm-wheel E will move the worm F down until it is stopped by the support g. To prevent the worm from thus returning antomatically into engagement with the worm- Wheel when the cloth is released, whenever it is desired to maintain it out of engagement for any time, I make the key L of the shaft G short and the shaft sufiiciently extended to permit the end of the groove M in the worm to pass out of engagement with the key when the worm is raised, so that by turning the worm slightly on the shaft the groove M may be moved away from above the key L, which will then act to support the worm in a raised and disengaged position until it is turned back to permit the key to engage the groove. To enable the worm to be turned with facility, I have shown it provided with a hub N.

The details of construction shown may be varied without departing from the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a take-up for knitting-machines, the combination With a movable frame, the takeup devices or rollers acting on the cloth and carried by said movable frame, of powertransmitting devices for transmitting power to the take-up rollers, embracing a Worm and worm-wheel, the worm being free to move longitudinally in an upward or forward directionbut held against movement in a downward or backward direction, whereby the relief of the upward tension upon the take-up devices by lifting the movable frame will 1 permit them to be turned forward and cause 1 the worm to move longitudinally out of engagement with the worm-Wheel.

2. In a take-up for knitting-machines, the combination with the movable take-up frame and the take-up rollers carried thereby, of a worm-wheel operatively connected with the take-up rollers, a rotary shaft, and a worm, engaging the worm-wheel and keyed to said shaft with freedom of longitudinal movement thereon in an upward or forward direction but not in a backward or downward direction, whereby the relief of the upward tension upon the take-up rollers by lifting the movable frame will permit them to be turned and cause the worm to move longitudinally on the shaft out of engagement with the worm-wheel and to return into engagement therewith when the tension is restored.

3. In a take-up for knitting-machines, the movable frame B, the rollers A, A, carried thereby, the worm-wheel E operatively connected with the rollers A, A, the shaft G to which power is transmitted to operate the take-up rollers, and the worm F engaging the worm-wheel E, and keyed to the shaft G with freedom of longitudinal movements thereon in one direction only.

'4..- In a take-up for knitting-machines, the combination with the movable take-up frame and the take-up rollers carried thereby, of a worm-wheel operatively connected with the the shaft out of engagement with the wormwheel and to return into engagement therewith when the tension is restored, and a stop to limit the upward or forward movement of the worm.

5. In a take-up for knitting-machines, the combination of the frame B, take-up rollers A, A, carried thereby, worm-wheel E, operatively connected with the rollers A, A, a shaft G to which power is transmitted to operate the rollers A, A, a worm F carried by the shaft G, having a longitudinal groove M, a support g for sustaining the worm against downward movement on the shaft G, which is extended forward to permit the worm to move in an upward or forward direction thereon, and a key L carried by the shaft G and engaging the groove M in the worm F, but extending only part of the length thereof, whereby the Worm may move upward or forward to disengage its thread from the teeth of the Worm-wheel E, and its groove M from the key L and when so moved may be turned on the shaft G to maintain it in such disengaged position.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand this 18th day of March, A. D. 1897.

FRANK B. WILDMAN.

Witnesses:

H. O. COLEMAN, AVONIA FRICK. 

